Process of manufacturing cuprammonium solutions.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

J. J. M. A. VERMEESOH. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GUPRAMMONIUM SULUTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1906.

' MWJWA 41 02;?) 93, 746% m q admitted direct intothe" reaction-column,

. watercontained in the latter. In thisway shows in side elevation one form of appa concentrated ammonia-copperoxid, the amagain brought to act on the metal in a con- U'NITED JULIEN JOSEPH MARIE BRUSSELS,

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE VERMEESCH, OF SCHAERBEEK-LEZF BELGIUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed September 25,1906. Serial No. 336,113.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIEN Josnrn MARIE AUsUs'rn' VERMEnson, a subject of the King of the Belgians, residing at Schaerbeek-lez- Brussels, in Belgium, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Manufacturing Cuprammonium Solutions, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates tora' process of manufacturing ammonia-metal compounds; "more particularly copper-ammonia oxid.

The essence of the invention consists of ammonia-water and air being caused to act in constant circle on the metal in such mani nor that all loss of ammonia is avoided, a very energetic actionof the same on the metal bein insured, and a solution of ammonium-meta compounds obtained in as concentrated form as possible. I

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, which ratus designed for carrying out the process, a portion of the apparatus being shown in section in order to more clearly illustrate the construction of the same.

It is already known that simultaneous artificial admission of air during the action of ammonia on the metal assists the reaction. According to this invention, however, not simply air, but'a current of-compressed air saturated with ammonia-gas, is admitted into thereaction-column. This saturation'is effected by means of the-ammonia contained inthe gases esca ing from the column, the ammonia eing con ensed to'that' end withwatenwhereupon the ammonia liquid obtained is mixed in atomized state with compressed air, which is then again introduced into the reactioncolumn. As already stated, in this Way not only the oxidation of the metal is accelerated,

but, more particularly when manufacturing monia not yet combined with'the metal is stant circle without any considerable losses- Air charged with vapors of ammonia is not where it would rise upward in the shape of bubbles but is introduced into a lon pipe, in which the-mixture of gas carries wit it nearthe bottom of the column the ammonia example,

, bottom with a c'ompressed-air-supp the ammonia liquid is considerably enriched with air, and in this way the reaction area and the reaction capacity are considerably increased, and therefore the time occupied by the reaction is considerably reduced. The new process has also the advantage compared to well-known processes that it is necessary to have only one reaction column or apparatus. For this process it 'is by no means necessary to use concentrated-ammonia liquid, but only that of a certain strength. Further, according to this invention air saturated with ammonia is introduced into the column by means of an injector or a similarly-acting device, thesaid injector at the same time drawing out the liquid contained in the reaction-column that is to say, producing a thorough mixture of air, ammonia, and liquid. This thorough reciprocal action of air and liquid as roduced by the injector is still more assists b the air meetin the liquid in the reaction-co umn after having been previously'saturated with ammonia, in consequence of which the fiir much more readily absorbed bythe A construction of ap ing out the process is illustrated, by way of in the accompanyingdrawing.

The reaction-column 1 is provided at the top with a ipe 2, with a cock 3, theisaid ipe leading to are bottom of a condenser 5, w 'ch is preferably a cylinder filled with coke,tl1e bottom of which is connected, by means of an injector 6 and pipe 7, to the topof a vessel 8, serving for atomizing the ammonia liquid and the ammonia thusliberated with compresse air, the end I of. the pipe bein formed into an atomizer 30 of any desire construction.

The condenser 5 is connected at the top by a pi e 17 to a tank 21, providedwith a float-va ve '31 of any conventional construction, and the tank 21 is connected, by means of abranch 18, to the bottom of the mixingcolunm8. The latter is also provided at the y P p and at the to with a pipe 10, lea ing to an injector 11. The said pipe 10 is also connected by a branch 12 to the top portion of the reaction-column and by a pipe 13 to the bottom portion of the same. Close above the junctlon of the pipe 13 with the reaction-column the latter is provided with a perforated aratus used for carry:

bottom 14, while at the top it has a coolingcoil 15. The whole empty space of the col-. umn is filled with copper shavings and also up to the level 16 with ammonia liquid, the level of which is slightly above the injector bran'ch 12;

Compressed. air charged with ammonia is admitted to the injector 11 through the pipe 10, the injector drawing out the liquid contained in the reaction-colunm 1 through the branch 12 and conveying the mixture of air, ammonia, and water through the pipe 13 downward into the space below the grating 14, whence it rises in the column, the reaction taking place in Well-known manner.

As already stated, owing to the constant circle of operation of the liquid the oxidation is greatly accelerated. ture of ammonia, air, an water vapors which passes into the topmost part of the column 1 comes out through the pi e 2 and issues under the cap 4 into the con enser 5, the coke of which is kept moistened with water from the top through the pipe 17, the said water on its way downward becoming more and more saturated with ammonia and finally collecting in the bottom of the condenser,

. whence it is conveyed, by means of the injector 6 or of apump, through the pipe 7 into the upper portion of the mixing-column 8. The pumping device 6 is preferably a steamjet apparatus, 20 representing the steam su ply pipe. The liquid drawn from the vesse 5 is eated by the steam in the pipe 7, the escape of ammonia from the liquid thus being'facilitated and the fall of temperature due to the said eva oration being made up.

In the mixing-co umn 8 the liquid is atomized and descends in a fine shower in the direction opposite to the current of fresh compressed air introduced through the pipe 9.

The said air is thus saturated with ammonia and supplied through the pipes 10 13 and the injector 11 to the reaction-column 1, so that the ammonia which escapes at 3 is utilized again and again.

The quantity of water serving for cond ensing the ammonia gas always remains the same, for the pipe 17, which serves for moistening the coke-tower 5, is connected, by means of the branch 18 and the float-valve 31, to the bottom part of the mixing-column 8, so that the water supplied by the pi e 7 to the mixing-column at the top and co lecting at the bottom of the same after reaching a certain level opens the float-valve, whereupon the water is forced upward in the pipe 17, owing to the pressure of air in the column 8, and again supplied to the coke-tower 5. The air freed from ammonia in the said coketower 5 escapes -at the top through the branch 12), so that; except the ammonia ciwmivnlly combined with copper, there is no l s of ammonia.

The fcl uantity of mix- What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.. The process of manufacturing cu'prammonium solutions, which consists in introducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, mixing air with ammonia-gas, and then pas'sin the air commingled with ammonia-gas hrough the said ammonium-hydroxid solution.

2. The process of manufacturing cuprammonium solutions, which consists in introducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, and in causing the uncombined am moni'a'to be brought into repeated contact with the copper by circulation.

3. The process of manufacturing cuprammonium solutions, which consists in introducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, in mixing some of the ammoniumhydroxid solution with air commingled with ammonia, and in introducing themixture thus obtained into the main body of the ammonium-hydroxid solution where it can act upon the copper.

- 4. The process of manufacturing cuprammonium solutions, which consists in mtroducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, in condensing the uncombined a'mmonia esca ing from the solution,.com1ning ling air wit the condensed ammonia, mixing the commingled air and ammonia thus obtained with some of the ammonium-hydroxid solution, and in introducing this mixture into the main body of the ammonium-hydroxid solution where it can act u on the copper.

5. The process of manu acturing cuprammonium solutions, which consists in introducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, in producing a constant circulation of the ammoniuin-hydroxid solution through an outside channel; and in passing air commingled with ammonia through the outside channel, whereby the commingled air and ammonia is thoroughly mixed with the ammonium hydroxid solution before being brought into contact with the copper. 6. The process of manufacturing cuprammonium-solutions, which consists in introducing copper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, in producing a constant circulation of the simmonium-hydroxid solution through an outside channel by means of an injector,

and operating the injector by means of air commingled with ammonia thus obtained through the ammonium-hydroxid solutionducingcopper into an ammonium-hydroxid solution, .condenslng the uncomblned amof the steam facilitating the escape of-am- Inonia from the liquid, atomizing theprodnets of condensation, passing a current of air v through the said atomized products of conden'sation whereby the air becomes commingled with ammonia, and in passing the' commingled air and ammonia thus obtained through the ammonium-hydroxid solution where it is brought into contact with the.

co per, 1

n testimony whereof I' have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JULIEN JOSEPH MARIE AUGUSTE VERMEESCH. Witnesses:

A. GRAETZ, GREGORY C. KELAN. 

